The International (2009)

The International could have been a great movie, but it ends up only being a good movie.

The story revolves around two people, New York District Attorney Eleanor Whitman played by Naiomi Watts and Louis Salenger from Interpol played by Clive Owen. These two people have been actively investigating a large International Bank for years, believing it be involved with organized crime.

Things with the bank seem to have escalated as the investigation has unearthed plans for the bank to purchase missiles.

Director Tom Tykwer does a nice job with the visuals of the film, often pitting Owen against the large, omnipresent buildings that represent the seemingly immovable force that is the International Bank. There are action sequences in the film that are very well done. And the cast is extraordinarily talented.

So, what keeps this good film from being great? Two things which are tied together. I'm not sure which is at the root cause of the issue, or whether they are equally at fault, but the two main issues are the acting of Naiomi Watts and her character/her lines in the script. Not only is her character two dimensional and her lines stiff, but the Aussie actress can't quite pull of the Americanized lines in a believable manner.

The International has a 1970s nihilistic feel to it, that the machine is greater than the man, that the war against large forces are too hefty for one person to overcome.

The International is a good movie, bordering on very good, but it just can't quite make it to great.